Cheesequake State Park Campground

The physical facilities are in good condition and are well maintained. The park is very big and is located inside and urban area.

The campsite appears to be designed as a disbursed camping design. However, there is not enough trees and folage to provide any privacy.

The camping area is located on a loop road I would estimate to be about a mile long. There is one restroom/shower house. Some campsites are close but our site was a 1/1 mile away.

The strangest thing is that hunting is allowed in the state park except on Sundays. There was a sign near our camp site saying don't shoot here because there is a city street 40 yards away. However they don't seem to mind if you shoot towards the camp sites.

Other campers near us were LOUD and stayed up well past the quiet time. They were annoying!!

Was my very first time camping out, went with my pups and my sons and did the van camping. The spot I had was very well shaded and pretty quiet. The only thing I wasn't big on was how far the trails are, would have to actually drive to it and park in a limited parking area. Due to weather didn't take the risk so am unable to give an opinion on it, but something to remember for the next trip. Only 30-35 min off the parkway, so nice and convenient.

I stayed at Cheesequake at the beginning of August and had a very positive experience.

Campsite

Campsites are fully shaded and include a picnic table, fire ring, and hook to hang food supplies from (away from wildlife). The site was well kept and clean - I didn't have to look hard to find a nice secluded space for my tent.

Each site is separated from its neighbors by a small (about 5-10 foot) forested area, and are deep enough that you can pitch your tent away from the road and have some privacy.

The park is bisected by the Garden State Parkway. While the campsite is fairly well protected from highway noise, you're still going to hear it at least a little.

Amenities

The bathroom and shower facility is older and has limited stalls, but I didn't have any issues with lines or finding time to use it. They're closed for about an hour in the early morning.

Potable water is available at the bathroom and showers.

The lake has a small beach and swimming area, and a concession stand. On Friday the beach was pretty quiet, it was closed on Saturday due to water conditions however.

Access

The park is about 2 miles from the nearest train station and can be accessed on foot, but it may be difficult with camping gear. I took the train to the station and a rideshare the rest of the way to the entrance. The campsite is about a mile from the park entrance so it's easier overall to drive, but not required. Bringing a bike to travel within the park would be a good idea.

It's cost $20 dollars the night for nj residents, I been there 2 times for over a week, it's a good place if you don't want to go far away.

Beautiful park. Great people. Nice internet connectivity. No outlets however for electricity. Bathrooms could be cleaner but many other pros.

The campground is large and has wonderful sites that have privacy or can be close to someone if you want. The bathroom/shower facility is old, filthy and needs to be torn down. No one cleaned it during our stay.  There are no electric hookups despite what some pages may state. The staff was very kind and informative. Bring bikes to enjoy all the areas of the park including lookouts and beaches.

This was a Father’s Day gift coming here. We are at the family camp grounds which have bathrooms, showers, and a small playground to wear out the kids. The larger park also has a lake for swimming, well kept hiking trails and picnic areas. Would bring bikes next time though to go from area to area without the car.

I stayed here with my 7-year old niece for a weekend camping trip. We stayed at site 20. All-in we had an awesome trip. Highlights were swimming in the pond and fishing. There was decent privacy but you could definitely hear the group next to you.

As expected in July, the campground was quite busy and we were just unlucky that there was a really loud group and things didn't quiet down until post-midnight.

Awesome place!!!!!

I was excited to camp here for the first time this September. The campsite was nice and was drive up. It was partially shaded which offered some privacy. I decided to hike with a friend on the white trail which is 2.7 miles long. The trail was poorly marked, the trail blazers were inconsistent which led us to get off trail and end up where we started after 2 miles on top of having to climb over multiple fallen trees. We decided to go fishing at the lake after but quickly discovered that was a mistake. There was 20+ dead fish in the lake and then we saw oil in the water! Needless to say, we didn’t continue fishing and went back to build our fire.

Stayed in the family campground in a travel trailer. Longish bike ride or shortish drive to the main park. Used a fan in the trailer to block out the sound of traffic with the exception of some sports cars/ motorcycles speeding loudly.

Just give me a parking spot and some privacy and I'm good. Cheesequake has just enough space between sites and the foliage gives you the personal space you need. Facilities are fair for what the cost is, the alternative is a $160 hotel room. By the way... Rained the whole time we we're there and we still loved it!

Like the title says, its ok. I think it would make a better day trip, family BBQ location. the Parkway is right there so its not a nice quiet place.

We camped here once because it was easy for part of our family to get to from NYC. Sites were a little too close together and one of the sites we reserved was filled with broken glass, we did call the park office and they promptly sent someone out to clean it up. Bathrooms were clean but there wasn't soap in any of the dispensers. If you're truly looking to get away from it all I would go elsewhere since the parkway runs through/over the park, you will be able to hear traffic noises. That said, this is probably a great place for those who have not camped before, it's easy to get to and close to civilization.

We went camping here this summer with a few friends. the campsites are basic. You get flat land and a fire ring. There is only one bathroom facility on the property which we did not love. The facilities were clean so...yay! The staff were fine. Not great or fun, just fine. Bonus here, they do have a swimmable lake on the property. However, he water is pretty dirty. My friends and I walked out with green dirt on us. No worries it rinses right off in the shower!

This is a great site for those who are not avid campers. It’s close to town if you forget something and it has all the facilities you may need, bathroom, shower, etc. The best part is all the trails. Great place for hiking

I always love camping in a state park - this one is easily accessible from NYC and popular. Not for someone looking for quiet and solitude, but good for a good escape. Hiking trails nearby, picnic tables and rest areas available.

i have camped here twice the last time which was in 2016 during the summer and it was OK. we had some issues with other campers and hikers being young and partying and just being very ignorant. There was trash scattered through out the site aswell. other then them few problems it is a very nice ground for families. and fairly acceptable with the prices !

This park is on the list of 50 top NJ Hikes, and it has a few great trails. The trails range from easy to moderate with quite a few lookout locations. The elevation of the trails is not too strenuous. While also walking the trails, people are able to come across many picnic and resting areas. It's a great park, and used quite often.